Alpine Ecosystems
December 2013
Riverina Environmental Education Centre
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
27. Management: utility values
2. Location; world
28. Management: indigenous
3. Location: treeline
29. Management: grazing
4. Location: Australia
30. Management: National Park
5. Location: Kosciuszko
31. Management: zones
6. Location: Blue Lake
32. Management: resorts
7. Location: Thredbo
33. Management: Mt Blue Cow
8. Climate
34. Management: plants
9. Weather
35.Management: threatened species
10. Weather map
36. Scenario 1
11. Water cycle
37. Scenario 2
12. Landform
38. Fieldwork Scenario
13. Soils
Skitube data (pdf)
14. Soil fertility
15. Plant communities
16. Plant community: tall alpine
17. Plant communities: other
18. Animals
19. Food chains
20. Human impact: grazing
21. Human impact: SMS
22. Human impacts: resorts
23. Human impacts: positive
24. Management: genetic diversity
25. Management: heritage
26. Management: intrinsic values
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1. Introduction
This study guide is based on the following definition of an ecosystem:
"any given space in which plants and animals interact with each other and the
physical environment."
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any given space - where alpine ecosystems occur
physical environment - climate, landform, water and soils
plants and animals - communities, biodiversity
natural interactions - food chains, adaptations
human interactions – use, impacts and management
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2. Location: World
The term 'alpine' refers to areas above the treeline and below the snowline. The
treeline is the climatic limit of tree growth. The treeline occurs where the mean
temperature of the warmest month is less than 110C. When the summer temperature
is less than this, the growing season is too short to allow trees to produce enough
food through photosynthesis to support a large trunk as well as leaves and branches.
The snowline is the zone of permanent snow cover.
The world map shows that alpine areas can occur at many different latitudes, from
the equator to areas in the Arctic Circle.
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3. Location: Treeline
Treelines can occur over a great range of altitudes. The treeline decreases
approximately 110 metres in altitude for each additional one degree of latitude
from the equator. In the New Guinea Highlands, latitude 6 0 S (near the equator),
the treeline occurs at approximately 3700 metres in altitude. In New South Wales
at latitude 360S it occurs at approximately 1850 metres.
The photo of the Thredbo Valley shows three vegetation zones, montane of
mixed eucalypts below approximate 1350 metres, subalpine of snow gums
between about 1350 and 1850 metres and alpine, above the treeline at
approximately 1850 metres.
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4. Location: Australia
The sub-alpine (snow covered in winter) and alpine areas occupy about
11 200 km2 but the truly alpine area, above the treeline, covers only 250 km 2
or 0.003% of Australia.
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5. Location: Kosiuszko plateau
This is a false colour satellite image taken approximately 700km above the
Earth. The alpine area is blue/white. Each grid square is 1km2. North is to the
top. The image was taken on 26 January 1992 and shows the main
Kosciuszko plateau bounded by the brown of trees at lower altitudes.
Thredbo Village is at the centre/bottom with white ski runs (grass and shrub)
cleared between the brown of the snow gums. The ski runs are on the southeastern escarpment of the plateau, north of Thredbo village.
Red indicates remnant snow patches on ridges. The white/blue of the alpine
area consists of shrubs, herbs and grasses.
Satellite image copyright © Commonwealth of Australia 1992
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6. Location: Blue Lake
Air photo & map © Land and Property Information Panorama Avenue Bathurst
Vertical aerial photograph of the Blue Lake area taken on 30 January 1992, four
days after the satellite image was taken. Blue Lake is a glacial cirque lake.
The very steep country of the western escarpment of the plateau is in the top left
corner. The walking track to Blue Lake and the Main Range around Carruthers Peak
is also visible.
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7. Location: Thredbo
The eastern escarpment of the Kosciuszko plateau with the Thredbo Village at the
base of the escarpment and ski runs cleared through the sub-alpine woodland of
snow gums. The treeless alpine zone is in the top left corner at the top of the
escarpment.
Air photo and topographic map:
© Land and Property Information Panorama Avenue Bathurst 2795
Map Scale: each grid is one km2 contour interval 20 m
Thredbo ski runs at map AR 1560.
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8. Climate
Climate: statistics for Charlottes Pass (7 km from Mt. Kosciuszko), elevation 1755 m
J
Temp. mean
daily max. (0C)
Temp. mean
daily min (0C)
Rainfall median
(mm)
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
17.1 16.9 14.4 10.0
6.3
2.9
1.7
2.4
4.6
8.7
12.1
15.2
5.0
4.8 2.7
-0.4
-2.9
-5.4
-6.9
-5.8
-3.8
-0.6
1.8
3.6
148 135 150
182
207
212
215
242
213
267
213
166
The climate statistics for Charlottes Pass are typical of the area. Uplift of the plateau
has caused the climate to be very severe causing great natural stress. Temperature
normally decreases by about 6.50C per thousand meters increase in altitude. The
alpine area has a continuous snow cover for at least 4 months of the year (JuneSeptember). On average there are only 10 frost free days per year on Mt.
Kosciuszko which has up to 3000 mm a year of precipitation and wind velocities of
150kph.
The upper limit of trees near Dead Horse Gap, Thredbo.
Note: some recent studies indicate trees are now growing at higher altitudes and the
treeline may have risen by as much as 40 metres.
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9. Weather
You are walking on the track to Mt. Kosciuszko from Thredbo and your instruments
have the following readings.
Humidity
The dry bulb thermometer of the hygrometer
shows normal air temperature. Relative humidity
can be calculated by taking the difference in
temperature between the dry and wet bulb
thermometers (2 degrees). Then go to the dry
bulb thermometer temperature (8 degrees), and
go across the table to the 2 degrees column. You
will obtain the relative humidity as a percentage.
The dry bulb temperature is the normal air
temperature.
What is the Humidity?
_______________________
Wind speed and direction
The anemometer records wind speed and the wind vane records the direction the
wind is coming from.
What is the wind direction and wind speed?________________________________
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10. Synoptic chart
The synoptic chart shows the passage of a cold front in winter bringing a Polar
maritime air mass to southern Australia.
Make a weather forecast for the next 24 hours
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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11. Water cycle
The alpine area has very high precipitation caused by orographic uplift of air masses
as air is forced to rise over the Kosciuszko plateau.
Air forced to rise cools at a rate of approximately 100C for every 1000m (dry
adiabatic lapse rate) it rises until it becomes saturated with water vapour and cloud
droplets start to form.
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12. Landform
The present landform is a dissected plateau resulting from uplift over the past 40
million years. The plateau is not flat, it has hills and valleys caused by different rock
types weathering and eroding at different rates.
The harder rocks (gneissic granite and metasediments) remain as the high points
such as Mt. Kosciuszko and the softer rock (granodiorite) is removed to form the
valleys. Different vegetation zones, montane, sub-alpine and alpine occur in
response to different climates at different altitudes.
The alpine plateau from the
escarpment near Thredbo to Mt.
Kosciuszko (rounded hill). North
Ramshead is in the middle of the
photo.
Looking north along the Main Range
from Mt. Kosciuszko
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13. Soils
Different soils
form on different
parts of the
landform
because of the
movement of
water down hill,
the movement
of soil particles
by gravity, plant
growth and
climate factors.
Alpine humus soils are found Lithosols are shallow, rocky,
on well drained slopes.
poorly developed soils.
Bog soils are dominated by
undecomposed plant matter.
Alpine humus soils are the dominant soil type. The high precipitation in alpine
areas results in a lot of water entering the soil and moving down through the soil
profile, dissolving large nutrient cations such as potassium and calcium. These
nutrients are transported by the water out of the soil profile (leaching) and are
replaced by hydrogen ions which is the H part in pH and so the soils become acid
and of low fertility. The photo below shows a field pH test done with universal
indicator and barium sulphate powder.
Cold temperatures slow the rate of plant decomposition so the rate of nutrient cycling
is slow and the A horizons have a high proportion of undecomposed plant material
causing them to have a dark colour and spongy texture. This slowly releases
nutrients back into the soil. Many nutrients are then removed by leaching.
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14. Soil fertility
Why the alpine area is fragile.
The cold temperatures slow plant growth. If the plants are damaged, they take a long
time to recover. The exposed soil, which is the nutrient base of the ecosystem, is
then open to the agents of erosion: wind, water and ice which are all plentiful. Once
the soil is removed by erosion, the ecosystem has lost its store of nutrients for plant
growth.
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15. Plant communities
Alpine refers to areas above the treeline which is a response to natural stress, trees
are unable to grow in cold climates. However, alpine areas are not all the same,
different areas have different micro-climates caused by position in the landscape and
different plants are adapted to grow in different environments. Where a number of
plant species grow in the same area they are referred to as a plant community. The
diagram below shows the main plant communities of the Alpine environment.
General plant adaptations to the natural stress of cold and seasonal climate of
alpine areas:
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the growing season is too short (4 months) to allow plants to make enough
food by photosynthesis to support a large, woody trunk so trees are not found
where the warmest month has an average temperature under 110C
many plants are annuals with a short life cycle of rapid growth, flowering and
seed production. They survive winter as a seed which will grow the following
spring.
many plants have renewal buds close to the ground where they are protected
from cold by soil and plant litter
shrubs have a very slow growth rate, the stems of feldmark Epacris increase
in diameter by 0.27 mm/yr.
many shrubs are dwarf with a rock clinging habit because rocks retain warmth
although it is a cold climate, intense sunshine for short periods can cause
heat stress and it is critical to keep leaves cool. Leaves may be silver in
colour, have long hairs, have a small leaf area or have a needle shape.
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16. Tall alpine plant community
The tall alpine herbfield is the main plant community covering 65% of the alpine area
and is found on well drained slopes. The tall alpine herbfield is only about 20 cm tall
and is the toughest and least fragile of the plant communities. Major species are poa
(snow grass) and silver snow daisy. Other species include mountain celery,
cudweed, billy buttons and buttercups.
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17. Other plant communities
Short alpine herbfield grows just
beneath the last snow patches to
melt in summer and on stony
erosion pavements.
Windswept feldmark communities grow in
the most severe conditions on ridges
where there is little soil.
Rock heath communities grow in the
warmth and wind shelter of boulders.
The woody shrubs have a very slow
growth rate.
Bog communities are found in areas of
poor drainage. The dominant species are
sphagnum moss and candle heath.
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18. Alpine animals
Weevils stay active in winter Millipedes are common
living in the plant-air gap
Feeding on leaf litter
(subnivean space) between and plants.
snow and soil.
The Mountain Spotted
Grasshopper has very small,
unusable wings (circled) and
an extended life
cycle of several seasons
Wolf spiders are abundant in The Mountain Log Skink is the
the Tall Alpine Herbfield
most abundant reptile of the alpine
Burrows are blocked in
area.
winter.
Adaptations and responses to the
natural stress of cold:
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Large herbivores are not
present, animals such as
kangaroos are not adapted to
move and feed in snow.
The number of animal species
decreases with altitude.
Some small mammals such as
the Mountain Pygmy Possum
(photo courtesy NSW NPWS,
Linda Broome) hibernate through winter.
Birds have seasonal migrations between the mountain tops and valleys to
escape the cold and lack of food in winter.
Reptiles, being cold blooded, have additional problems. They are heliotherms,
basking in the sun to get warm. Only one lizard species, the Mountain Log
Skink, is found over 2000 m in altitude.
Lizards choose a home site which allows them to burrow deep into soil to
escape freezing conditions
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Insects typically have very small wings (not used), hairiness for insulation,
darker colours to absorb sunlight and a smaller adult size which requires less
growth in the short summer.
The Alpine Grasshopper is thermodynamic- changes colour from lighter to
darker as the temperature gets cooler. This enables it to remain active
through a wider range of conditions
Bogong Moths migrate from the plains of north and western NSW, beyond
Gunnedah and Hay to shelter in rock crevices of the mountains during
summer. Numbers of moths in some crevices have been estimated at
17000/m2.
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19. Food chains
Food chains show the flow of energy from plant to herbivore to carnivore. The more
energy from the sun converted into chemical energy by photosynthesis in plants, the
more animals that can be supported in food chains.
In the Kosciuszko area, plants grow for only four months of the year because of the
low temperatures hence plant biomass is very low. Biomass is the weight of plant
material or the amount of food available to support the food chain. Rainforests have
a plant biomass of 45kg/m2 (world average) and can support many herbivores but
the world average for alpine areas is only 0.6kg/m2 so there is limited food for
herbivores and even less for carnivores.
The use of biomass or energy units displayed as a pyramid showing different trophic
levels, producer (plant), consumers (herbivores and carnivores) allows us to
compare the productivity (how many plants and animals it can support) of different
ecosystems. The two pyramids on the right show the comparative sizes of tropical
and alpine food pyramids.
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20. Human impacts: grazing and soil erosion
Photos: cattle on the Bogong High Plains in Victoria.
Grazing of the alpine area by cattle and sheep started in the 1830's and was
eventually prohibited above 1370 metres in 1958 due to severe soil erosion.
The low vegetation biomass meant there was little food for herbivores and
once eaten, the plants took a long time to grow back because of the short
growing season due to the cold. This left the soil unprotected from wind,
water and ice, the agents of erosion. The alpine area was being used in
an unsustainable way.
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21. Human impacts: Snowy Mountains Scheme
The Snowy Mountains Scheme is an incredible feat, tunnelling through the
mountains to divert water from the eastern flowing rivers into the western rivers for
irrigation and the production of hydro-electricity. It has come with an environmental
cost though with the modification to the flow of rivers and creeks.
At lower altitudes flowing streams have been replaced by deep, still, ponded water
behind dams or dry river beds downstream of dams when water is not being
released. This has a big impact on stream ecology and the life cycles of aquatic
invertebrates and native fish.
The impact has mainly been below the alpine area though some alpine streams were
modified with weirs and water diversion. A positive impact has been the repair of
past erosion damage and protection of the environment.
Pipers Creek near Smiggin
Holes, a beautiful
alpine stream supporting
an important aquatic
ecosystem.
The weir on Pipers Creek below
Pipers Creek below the
the photo at left water is diverted
weir is now just a series of
to Island Bend Dam on the
pools.
Snowy River and then to the
Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers.
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22. Human Impacts: ski resorts
Ski resorts such as Perisher Blue, have a big impact on the immediate
area where the resorts are located. Impacts include the clearing of
vegetation to build lodges, roads and ski runs and pollution from sewage
and other waste water. Overnight visitors in resorts produce five times
the amount of rubbish and use seven times more water than day visitors.
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23. Human impacts: positive
Many positive human impacts have occurred as people have attempted to
management the alpine area for sustainable use. Positive impacts include:
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extensive soil conservation works carried out on the Main Range from Mt.
Kosciuszko to the Blue Lake area to rehabilitate badly eroded areas caused
during the cattle grazing era;
removal of grazing in Kosciuszko NP;
re vegetation of old vehicle tracks on the Main Range;
construction of the raised walkway from Thredbo to Mt. Kosciuszko;
removal of the vehicle road on the side of Mt. Kosciuszko and it's replacement
with a walking track
the removal of some huts without heritage value from the Kosciuszko area
including Albina Lodge;
a management plan which limits the number of people who can stay overnight
in ski resorts
a management plan which divides the area into management units so each
can be managed for sustainable use.
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24. Management: maintenance of genetic diversity
There is only 250km2 of true alpine ecosystem in Australia. It occurs, not as one big
block but as many small isolated 'islands', where the land is above the altitude of the
treeline. This makes it very difficult for animals and plants adapted to alpine
environments to recolonise a damaged area. They cannot cross the low altitude
areas between 'islands'.
These photos show a plot in the Bogong High Plains in Victoria which was been
fenced off from cattle grazing by Maisy Fawcett, Melbourne University, in 1947.
Cattle are selective grazers, preferring the small flowering plants to the grasses
which now dominate the grazed area at the bottom part of the photo dominated by
poa (snow grass).
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25. Management: heritage values
Cultural heritage includes evidence of the cattle grazing era with the huts which
were used by cattlemen during summer grazing of the alpine area. The photo is
Cascade hut near Thredbo which similar in structure to the huts in the alpine area.
Natural heritage in alpine areas includes our highest mountain, evidence of the last
glaciation with the glacial land forms of lakes, cirques and moraines and the alpine
plants and animals.
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26. Management: intrinsic and natural values
Intrinsic Values: the alpine area is valued for its natural beauty.
Natural change: it is important to protect special places from human induced
change and allow ecosystems to function naturally.
Human induced changes include accelerated soil erosion, vegetation clearing, loss
of native animals through habitat modification and introduced animals and plants.
Alpine area from Charlottes Pass
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27. Management: utility values
Alpine areas have many uses for
people. Because there is so little
snow country, these uses focus
human impact on the small alpine
'islands'.
Alpine areas have also been used for
cattle grazing and as a water
catchment for the Snowy Mountains
Scheme.
Important dates include:
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1836 first settlers with uncontrolled free
range grazing
1906 Kosciusko National Chase
formed for public recreation
1931 Chalet at Charlottes Pass built
1949 Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric
Scheme commenced
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1957 first commercial ski development at
Thredbo
1960-67 rapid development of ski resorts
1990 visitor numbers exceed 3 million
annually
1999 Minister for Urban Affairs and
Planning approves the development of
additional accommodation at Perisher
Range resorts following political lobbying
by private businesses.
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28. Management: Aboriginal
Aboriginal people used the alpine area but there is very little physical evidence of
their presence. They did not live permanently in the alpine area, but migrated there
seasonally. Although the alpine area generally has a low carrying capacity (cannot
support many people), Aboriginal people used it in a sustainable way. The migration
of bogong moths to rest in the cool mountains in summer represented a seasonal
concentration of a food resource which allowed a seasonal increase in the carrying
capacity of the land which Aboriginal people exploited. The Djilamatang from the
western plains would gather near Tumut, the Ngario from the tablelands to the east
would gather near Jindabyne and the Jaitmajhang travelled from Victoria.
Management was in the form of the Aboriginal lifestyle and culture. The huntergather life style required a large area of land over which people moved from food
source to food source allowing previously occupied land a chance to recover. When
tribes met at the various meeting areas, before proceeding to the alpine area, they
agreed on the areas which each tribe might search for moths.
Image: Murray-Darling Basin Commission
Dead Bogong moths litter a rock crevice.
Thousands of Bogong moths rest on crevice walls.
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29. Management: grazing
Grazing
The original graziers used the resource in a non-sustainable way when they grazed
large numbers of sheep and cattle. They introduced very large herbivores, cattle and
sheep, to the food chain which ate large quantities of plant matter. Because of the
short growing season the plants could not grow back quickly, leaving the soil
unprotected and open to the agents of erosion, wind and water. The heavy hooves of
the cattle also trampled the fragile vegetation which created tracks which turned into
erosion gullies. The graziers also burnt the area before they left at the end of
summer to encourage new growth for the following year. The vegetation of this area
is not adapted to survive fire. Fire resulted in the death of snow gums and the
replacement of the tall alpine herbfield with more fire tolerant plants.
Leases
An attempt was made to manage the alpine area with the introduction of grazing
leases in 1889. These controlled areas allocated to lease holders but did not control
livestock numbers. In 1943 snow leases were introduced which restricted stock
numbers and burning. In 1944 the Kosciusko State Park was established and
grazing of the alpine area was progressively phased out and by 1958 all grazing
above 1370 metres was prohibited and the Soil Conservation Service commenced
revegetation work.
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30. Management: National Park
The most significant development in sustainable
management occurred when the area was declared a
national park in 1967. The area was now covered by
government legislation to protect it but this also allowed
use by people.
To protect but also allow sustainable use caused a
dilemma for the managers of Kosciuszko National Park.
There are many possible land uses but which ones are
compatible with the sustainable use of the
environment? Not all alpine and sub-alpine areas are
the same. The Kosciuszko area is the highest and most
fragile and the area most in demand by tourists. Some
areas have very little access, towards the centre of the
Park and surrounded by very rugged terrain, other areas are near the edge of the
Park and have good access and snow cover in winter.
Management Zones
A major management tool was to divide the Park into
different management zones and units and to manage
each of these differently.
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Wilderness Zone
Back Country Zone
Minor Road Corridors Zone
Major Road Corridors Zone
Visitor Service Zone
Alpine Resort Zone
Each zone has specific rules for use and management
techniques. The coloured map shows some of the
management zones around Perisher Valley.
Management Units
Some zones include places of exceptional significance and have an additional
classification. These include the alpine landscapes of the Main Range and the
Yarrangobilly karst catchment.
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31. Management: Back Country Zone; Unit - alpine landscapes of
the Main Range
Some management decisions
for this area include the
following.
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No commercial
development.
People are encouraged
to stay to tracks via
signs and the track was
improved for easier
walking. The raised
metal walkway to
Kosciuszko allows
plants to grow beneath it.
Camping beside the glacial lakes and in their catchments is not allowed
because of the pollution.
Huts which were in fragile places or did not have a heritage or survival value
were removed.
No campfires above the treeline are allowed because the slow growing shrubs
are burnt.
The road to Mt. Kosciuszko from Charlottes Pass was closed to vehicles.
A walking track up the eastern side of Mt. Kosciuszko was closed and is now
being re vegetated.
Soil erosion areas caused by earlier cattle grazing were rehabilitated with
mulch and seed.
The walking track from Charlottes Pass to Blue Lake has been paved
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32. Management: Resort Zone
The major ski resorts pose a problem because
they started to develop before there were any
planning controls. Perisher Valley is very spread
out, quite large and is in a more sensitive, higher
altitude location than Thredbo.
Because Perisher has a lot of overnight
accommodation, it is basically a town with all the
services required by a town including.
Restaurants, fire station, ambulance station,
medical centre, large car park, sewage treatment
plant, water supply and waste disposal
problems.
The NPWS have tried to manage the resorts for
sustainable use by having land use zones within
the resorts. The resorts have zones for lodges, ski runs, areas that must stay natural
(snow gum areas), restaurants and so on. Proposal for development must be
accompanied by an Environmental Impact Statement. The state government now
has a specialised planning unit, Planning NSW, based in Queanbeyan to control
development within KNP following the Thredbo landslide disaster. The Alpine
Resorts Plan will operate with the NPWS Management Plan and will apply to eight
locations: Thredbo Village, Perisher, Charlotte Pass, Mt Selwyn, Skitube and others.
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33. Management: Mt Blue Cow Area
A major management tool is to limit the size
of resorts by the number of beds allowed for
overnight guests. Perisher Blue Resort was
allowed 4,542 beds but the new Blue Cow
Resort shown here only has one main
building and 25 beds for workers. (Recent
political lobbying by commercial interests
appears to have by-passed the Plan of
Management to allow many more beds in
Perisher Blue in the future.) Hence, the Blue Cow Resort does not have all of the
problems associated with overnight visitors (they use 5 times more water and
produce 7 times more rubbish than day visitors). As altitude increases the quality of
the snow and the length of the skiing season improves. But the environment is also
more fragile and at risk of damage.
The Ski Tube is a major management
tool. It takes day visitors to Perisher and
Mt. Blue Cow. This encourages skiers to
sleep outside of the alpine area and stay
in Jindabyne, a far less fragile area, and
visit the alpine area on a day basis. The
Ski Tube tunnel is approximately 6 km
long and is the only access to Mt. Blue
Cow Resort, thus protecting the fragile
area around this resort from the need for
roads, car parking and pollution from
cars.
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34. Management: Plant Communities
Within the alpine area, each vegetation community poses its own management
problems because some communities are more fragile than others and the total area
of some is extremely small.
Windswept feldmark is very fragile and of very limited area, growing on exposed
ridges. Plants grow very slowly and the soil erosion hazard is extreme. Unfortunately
these are also the areas people like to walk to for the best views. Where possible
walking tracks should go around these areas and raised mesh viewing platforms will
be constructed in popular areas.
Bog communities are also extremely fragile and limited in area. Fortunately people
don't like walking through boggy areas but cattle did and they caused the death of
many bog communities. Once trampled the sphagnum moss died and small streams
formed in the cattle tracks. The streams then drained the water from the bogs and
they dried out, killing the water loving plants. Grazing was incompatible with
sustainable use of bog communities and this was a major reason for the removal of
cattle from the alpine area.
Short alpine herbfield communities are fragile and limited in extent, found below
melting snow patches in summer. Visitors like to slide down these snow patches and
their feet land in the short alpine herbfield. The management dilemma is how to
protect the plants while allowing visitors to have fun.
Heath communities provide the only wood which campers can burn for fires. A small
branch may have taken hundreds of years to grow so camp fires are banned above
the treeline.
Tall alpine herbfields are the toughest plant community and cover the largest area.
It is the best community to locate walking tracks. Cattle were selective grazers,
preferring some plants and not the tough poa (snow grass) which dominated the
community. As a result some plants became rare and the community lost some of its
biodiversity. Since grazing was stopped, many herbs such as mountain celery and
the anemone buttercup are becoming more common.
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35. Management: threatened species
The habitats of rare or threatened
native animals are managed to
minimise disturbance. The Mountain
Pygmy-possum (Burramys) was only
known as a fossil until it was
discovered in 1966. It lives among
granite boulders above an altitude of
1600 m, with the females living in
better habitat near the tops of
mountains, while the males live in
poorer habitat lower down. To mate
the males must migrate up the
mountains using boulder fields for
protection. When the new Mount Blue Cow Resort was being planned, a population
of possums was found on a proposed ski slope which needed to be cleared of
boulders for skier safety. This would have hindered the migration of males so a long
ditch was dug and filled with boulders so the possums could still migrate up and
down the mountain. Photo courtesy NPWS Linda Broome
Other threatened species include the Anemone Buttercup (image courtesy MDBC).
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36. Management scenario 1
You are the National Parks and Wildlife Service officer in charge of managing the
Blue Lake area and the District Superintendent has asked you to prepare a
Management Plan. Your dilemma is that according to law you must conserve this
area but allow suitable use on a sustainable basis.
Background
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Carruthers Peak has spectacular views to the west and north towards Mt
Kosciuszko.
Blue Lake has the freshest water of any lake in Australia and is very deep at
29 metres but is now badly polluted from people camping beside it. It was
formed by a glacier and is spectacular with cliffs behind.
It has easy access from Charlottes Pass where vehicles can be parked.
It is part of the Lakes Walk which is a circuit from Charlottes Pass to
Carruthers Peak then by the main ridge to Mt. Kosciuszko then back to
Charlottes Pass. This is a very popular walk passing through the most
spectacular areas of the Kosciuszko area but is also located in the very fragile
and restricted feldmark plant community found growing on the ridges.
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There is a population of the very rare Mountain Pygmy Possum living in the
heath communities.
The main track to Carruthers Peak is so badly eroded that people walk beside
it, creating new tracks parallel to the main one.
There is no formal track to Blue Lake and people have formed many small
tracks taking a short cut from near Charlottes Pass.
The hut was originally used by the Soil Conservation Service when they were
rehabilitating eroded areas. It was not a hut built by the early graziers. There
is a development application by someone to turn it into a kiosk to sell food to
walkers.
The snow patches left after the previous winter attract many walkers,
unfortunately they trample the fragile short alpine herbfield growing
immediately below them.
Human waste is a problem which so many people using the area. In such cold
conditions it does not decompose quickly.
The chimney has great historic importance, a reminder of high country
grazing, but is falling apart and a danger to people.
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37. Management scenario 2
A new national park has been created for the area in yellow and green. New South
Wales has very little alpine country and it was decided to protect the fragile alpine
ecosystems. The town is outside the park.
Your task is to submit a Draft Management Plan to Head Office for their
consideration. State legislation requires you to protect the area but also allow
suitable use by people in a sustainable fashion.
Other guidelines to follow are:
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to protect the habitat of rare animals and plants
to maintain the waters and aquatic communities of streams in a natural state
to protect Aboriginal sites
to protect sites of geologic importance
to protect sites of historic significance
to maintain areas with outstanding scenic qualities
to provide visitors with opportunities to enjoy the natural features
to provide for all forms of recreation compatible with the above objectives
Presently groups use the land for the following:
Grazing by cattle, bush walking, camping, skiing- both cross-country and downhill,
mountain bikes, canoeing, logging on the escarpment, tourists driving to lookouts.
There are two applications to develop ski resorts at locations A and B.
Write a Draft Plan of Management by dividing the park into different landuse zones
to protect the different values of different areas whilst allowing compatible use.
Include a copy of the above map with the different zones drawn in. Develop rules for
the use and protection of each zone.
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38. Investigation: tall alpine herbfield plant biomass
Background
An important feature of an ecosystem is how many animals the plants can support. If
there are a lot of plants then there is more food for herbivores which can become a
meal for carnivores. It is difficult to compare different ecosystems and their carrying
capacity (weight of animals that can be supported permanently in an area). One
method is to compare plant biomass, the weight of all plants in an area. This
indicates the weight of herbivores that can be supported. We usually use dry weight
since moisture content varies from day to day depending on weather patterns.
You are a scientist investigating the sustainable use of the high country. Part of this
investigation involves estimating the plant biomass of the tall alpine herbfield.
Complete the following tasks using the diagram above.
What you are going to do?
Survey the tall alpine herbfield in the field using one metre quadrats. Previous
studies have found that the average dry weight of snow grass (poa) is approximately
40 grams for an area 20x20 cm (1000 grams per square metre). Herbs, small
flowering plants, vary a lot but an average of 15 grams each is in the ball park.
Record results in kilograms of plant dry weight per square metre of land surveyed.
How will you make it a fair test?
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Quadrats must be randomly selected so the result is not biased.
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The sample must be large enough to obtain valid results so five quadrats will
be done and the average calculated.
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